Hunt Elk in the rain?

[BuzzH]

Some of the best days I've had hunting were in the rain...in particular whitetail deer in the timber of NW Montana.

 

[Buckbrush]

This last year on the elk hunt in utah it was raining and snowing almost the whole 2 weeks. I think maybe we had 3 or so days when it wasn't. I got my truck stuck in the mud almost rolling off the edge of the road.
Spent all opening morning and noon trying to get it unstuck. Thanks to some good folks for helping a feller out on that deal. Anyway hardly anybody showed up never seen it less crowded. Missed a shot at an elk. My fault for switching ammo out. Like others said you can't shoot an elk from your couch. Yeah it's not comfortable when your wet and cold.
But their is advantages to bad weather. Keeps the wusses at home

 

[Caseknife]

Yep, last fall in Utah, was snowing so hard opening morning that at times you couldn't see 50 yards and fog, right in the clouds all day. Saw elk too, quite close, didn't get a shot that day. A few days later ran into three locals hunting right together, talked for a bit. They were wondering if I had hunted opening day, thinking that I had not because I would get wet, "Yep, hunted all day". The evening after I killed my cow, it snowed about a foot of heavy wet snow, had to clean the snow off the tent a few times that night. Had to dress protected, but not too warm in the morning when packing due to that she was about 800' vertical from the truck on a 60%+ slope.

Hunting in inclement weather can be very productive and sometimes can have the woods to yourself because everybody is back in camp.

 

[Cornbread]

I was hoping to get a lot of responses on this thread, and fortunately I have. Sometimes a lot of the threads are boring. Some very interesting answers and great pic!! Thanks to all. Im definitely going to get some new rain gear.
Schmitty

 

[Caseknife]

I wear Kuiu Chugach jacket and Yukon pants for rain gear. It is not real quiet, but it keeps you dry and comfortable.

 

[kwyeewyk]

One thing I'll add is that weather in the mountains changes quickly, and it's hard to know what it's going to be like in 20 minutes or 2 hours, at different elevations or over the next ridge. Unless it's really awful you usually realize it's not as bad as you thought once you get going.

 

[Huntin' Fool]

I've worn out more rain gear than...

The hunting shows just make it look way too easy.

Started big game hunting in '74, before gortex. Regular rain gear is all we had.

When gortex came out in about 1980 is was expensive and really didn't get completely waterproof until about '86 or so.

Always carry rain gear in Idaho.

 

[shannerdrake]

Everyone has already said it, but hunt the rain. The animals live in the rain, they don't care about it the way we do. I have had some really good hunts in the rain. It actually takes A LOT of rain and wind to get the animals to lay up. However, the moment the weather breaks they will be up making up for lost time....that's a great time to already be out there waiting on them.

Get rain gear and get out there.

 

[pre6422hornet]

Not elk but I have taken more whitetails in the rain than any other weather condition. I feel that they are on their feet more as the rain effects their hearing and the moisture keeps the scent low so they move around more.

 

[Caseknife]

I started elk hunting in 1978, the first "rain gear" I ever wore while hunting was Browning Hydrofleece. Don't know when that hit the market. Wool coats and pants were all we ever wore, usually with waffle knit cotton long underwear. Never went back to camp until the end of the day. If it was wet, we were wet, could wring water out of our cuffs. We were usually one of the most successful camps around. The elk live out there, they have their coats on all the time, gets a little warmer in the fall is all. I always like hunting in a drizzling rain, was quieter and scent got knocked down.

 

[Cornbread]

Wow, Browning Hydro fleece and waffle long johns...Now that brings back memories.

 

[ccc23454]

I cant remember last time it rained when i was elk hunting, snow yes.

 

[Elknr]

Im trying to prepare for my first (hopefully) elk hunt in Montana this coming Fall. How many of you hunt elk in the rain? If so, how hard does it have to rain before you just stay home or in camp? Will elk patterns be about the same? How about strong wind? Do they just hunker down? Same questions for due deer. Thanks for your help.

Ive hunted whitetails in various stages of rain, and I will only go out if it is only a mist, not a steady rain or downpour. Seems whitetails hate the rain just as much as I do.
Thanks for your insights.
Cornbread

Hell no!! You would get wet!!

 

[GFIdaho]

Will hunt in all the inclement weather condition, but I hate getting clouded/fogged in for hours at a time with only 50 yards of visibility. That truly sucks IMO.

 

[Caseknife]

Will hunt in all the inclement weather condition, but I hate getting clouded/fogged in for hours at a time with only 50 yards of visibility. That truly sucks IMO.

But rest assure, anything you see will be close

 

[gonhunting247]

It always sounds funny hearing that some people don't hunt in the rain. If you grow up hunting Blacktail where I'm from, we are always hoping for rain . The best time to hunt deer and elk here is when it's raining or right when the storm breaks. This guy got up to move during a torrential down pour and I was lucky to catch him right at the perfect time.
To answer the question I'd hunt as much as possible during the rain, as I think it helps deaden sound, obscure movement and maybe even help with knocking scent down a bit. Besides you only have a set amount of time to be out hunting, so make sure to take advantage of it.

 

[Sharp stick]

My take on the rain question is depending on the hunt you are on dont risk your safety if you can let it pass then hunt. If you are far from home on a week long mountain hunting trip staying dry and warm can be a lifesaver. However always be prepared for rain by carrying top quality rain gear on these trips and use it as needed. Keep your feet dry as well with good boots. You can usually wait out a rain storm under a big pine tree if needed. If raining when you wake up, simply let it pass before going out. Many guys wear gaitors to help keep water out of their boots. Clothes don’t dry well at higher elevations and getting soaked on a mountain top can lead to hypothermia. Use your head when it comes to rain and stay safe.

 

[sambo3006]

An amendment to my previous post: If it's raining on the East Side of Montana, STAY IN CAMP AND OFF THE ROADS. That gumbo clay turns into a terrible mess. Builds up in the wheel wells of truck and turns to cement when it dries. Your boots become big as basketballs and heavy as anchors. Driving on private block management property when the access roads are gooey is not only unforgivably rude, it's a good way to get your arse kicked off the place for good. Good news is the ever present East Side wind can dry out gumbo in a few hours after the rain stops.

Yep.
Two years ago I drove a road in SE MT one day with no problems and ended up camping about 20 miles away that night. I decided to drive down that same road the next morning. Unbeknownst to me, it had rained there the night before. It was all good until about 9 AM when it warmed up, then I got stuck good. Took me about 3 hours to get out of that mess, then I made it to a drier spot on the road. I spent the rest of the day digging mud out of my wheel wells and pretty much every other part underneath. I waited until early the next morning and got the heck out of there when it was still pretty cold and the mud was frozen.
Once I got back to a paved road, I spent another 3 hours digging out the rest of the mud. Good times.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

…back in the day before everyone was carrying a fully loaded 7-day assault pack on day hunts around camp

Guilty

 

[MarvB]

Like @gouch, I began my elk hunting on the OR coast (Gold Beach) and if you weren’t hunting in the rain then you just probably weren’t hunting